User blog:John Pan/ZD-24
Before IPC-NAU relations turned sour, the IPC once asked Northrop Grumman to design a compact carrier-capable fighter, as Northrop was always renown for compact fighter designs and squeezing a lot into a small space. NG dug up some old RFI designs, modified them, and turned out with a very compact one-engine stealth fighter that was ultra-maneuverable and able operate from a STOBAR carrier. Then they sold it to the IPC for 10 Billion USD. The IPC then turned over the designs to the Indian HAL and Chinese DFA, who now churn out a combined 120 fighters a year. As of 2033, the IPC operated 3,200 of these deadly little fighters. Named after the Mythological Guardian animal of the South. 1 AIRCRAFT Main Armament The ZD-24 is equipped with a SABR AESA, originally intended to find itself on F-16 Vipers. License-produced by the Taiwanese and Koreans, the SABR is capable of anything a small fighter would need to do- anything from air-to-air to airborne ECM projector to whatever. It also has a small weapons bay fitting four Katana AAMs or two Chwei-I bombs or two Compass AARMs. A single Advanced Ordinance Singapore 20mm 'Compact' Gatling is supplied to dogfight. AOS 20mm The AOS 20mm Gatling is a Singaporean improvement of the classic M61 Vulcan. With improved cooling technology and drive motors, the AOS 20mm is just 50% as long as the Vulcan, without losing one bit of the original weapon's lethality or reliability. 6,000 rounds can be launched in a minute, but the ZD-24 only carries a 480-round drum. Katana AAM Katana AAMs are Asian “Evolved Slammers”. The Katana has the same profile as the basic AIM-120C, but sacrifices extended range for a massive 100lb High Explosive warhead, an ECCM-assisted IR seeker and improved off-boresight fire capability. This makes it able to directly replace both the AIM-120 and the AIM-9, as it can provide excellent anti-aircraft firepower from 500 meters to 40,000 meters. Chwei-I Chwei-I guided bombs are the Asian take on the Maverick. It packs an IR seeker to home in on targets, an ECCM suite to counter flares, four proximity-launch Triple-HEAT ATGMs as well as 50lb of High Explosives to give infantry a good kick-in-the-pants. It's delivered by a rocket motor that provides it with transonic flight for a maximum of 50km. Compass AARM Compass AARMs are the Asian take on the AGM-88 HARM. The Compass has the same basic hardware as the AGM-88E- a radiation seeker, an Active Millimeter Seeker, similar fin guidance group, and a hefty warhead. But it goes two steps further: adding in an ECCM suite to counter softkill ECMs, and a rocket-boosted Ramjet motor to provide it with a much higher attack speed of Mach 6 or more. Range is about 100km from 15,000 ft. Upgrades A) Shriken AAM The Shirken AAM was developed out the need to protect aircraft against the increasingly intelligent AAMs possessed by the IOR and the NAU. Although it has the same exact 5-inch/127-millimeter tube as the Sidewinder, it has fins that completely fold into its tube, making it's stowage space see a steep decrease. The Shriken uses an IR Seeker, an ECCM suite, a 20-lb small warhead, and a vector-thruster-equipped rocket motor that can propel it to a maximum of eight kilometers. This makes it lethal against enemy missiles, and can bring down helicopters as well. The ZD-24 can carry fourteen of these missiles in a pod that fills the weapons bay. Armor The ZD-24 has a basic Aluminum skin to keep costs low. Chaff and flares are standard, as well as a basic ECM suite to jam radar-guided missiles. The ZD-24 is also completely stealthy, with a low RCS of 0.01m3 in ideal conditions. However, the greatest defense of the ZD-24 is its ultra-maneuverability, which in the hands of the right pilot, can evade any type of threat- superb AAMs and supersonic cannon shells are no exception. Powerplant The ZD-24 is equipped with a license-built Rolls Royce F-138-RR-100 low-bypass vector-thruster-equipped turbofan engine that provides the 17,500 pound ultralight fighter with 25,000 pounds of dry thrust, providing the ZD-24 with the capability to Mach 1.2 supercruise for 800 kilometers or accelerate flying straight up. Alternatively the Vermillion Phoenix can burst through the air at Mach 3 with it's Rolls Royce in full afterburner at 60,000 feet. Category:Blog posts